Acquacotta at the Bellavista restaurant
The menù in our restaurant is based on Tuscan cooking using fresh, seasonal produce. Among the many suggestions you must try "acquacotta", a delicious soup with deep roots in Tuscan traditions. The recipe originated as a simple dish prepared by shepherds and miners in Maremma and it was transferred to Casentino by shepherds moving their animals from area to area to find the milder areas in winter time. It was prepared with whatever was available naturally, a vegetable broth with onions, oil, salt and pepper and sometimes enriched with an egg or cheese. You can try the ancient recipe in the tasty version by our cook with porcini mushrooms which give it an unmistakableflavour.
An ancient recipe
This is the oldest recipe we have. From 1705 in a manuscript entitled "Il panunto toscano" (Tuscan, oily bread).
Puliti che li haverai lavati, e spremili bene acciò che n'esca intieramente l'acqua, mettili poi nella padella così asciutti e li farai cuocere finchè si consumi l'acqua, andandoli rivoltando qualche volta e quando saranno quasi cotti li metterai in uno stufarolo con olio buono e butirro, con un poco di cipolla e aglio trito et erbe odorose toltone la mentuccia di campagna spetiarie e sale e li farai soffriggere qualche spatio di tempo. Dopo ci metterai un poco di brodo e li farai finir di cuocere e nel fine ci metterai un poco di rossi d'uova con agro e li potrai mandare in tavola
From the book by Guido Gianni "Antica gastronomia aretina".